January 31, 2012

The 2012 South West Challenge Series schedule has been released! This year there is 38 races in the series!!! What an amazing opportunity we have in NM and West Texas thanks to the series. The South West Challenge series is the largest and oldest multi-sport series in the world.

I was very excited to see that the South West Challenge Series schedule is finally out!!!! I was extremely disappointed to see that the Cochiti lake triathlon wasn't in the South West Challenge Series. Very disappointed indeed:-(

SW series rules is as follows: The 2012 Southwest Challenge Series links up the premier Duathlons and Triathlons in New Mexico and West Texas. Point standings are kept for each race based on finish by category with champions being crowned at the end of the season.

Anyone can participate. There is no extra cost for inclusion in the series. Entrance into any of the Southwest Challenge Series events will automatically make one eligible, and everyone is invited to enter all of these outstanding races. Points will be accumulated from your best eight finishes. However, there is a minimum of 5 races required to be considered for year end awards.

In other words, if you can outscore someone doing eight races by only completing seven or less, then total points prevail. Every race completed past eight will score an additional .25 points. In addition, the Buffalo Springs Lake 70.3 Triathlon will award bonus points at a 1.25 multiplier, i.e. 10 points x 1.25= 12.5 points.

January 30, 2012

It took me 6.5 years of dieting, falling off the wagon, gaining most of my weight back, learning from the diet mistakes I'd made, dieting again, falling off the wagon again, learning from the diet mistakes I'd made......

Last year I'd finally got to 177 pounds and maintained that from July until November. After IMAZ in November I decided I'd try to drop a couple more pounds. I've applied all the knowledge I've attained from 7 years of experimenting with my body, nutrition, and exercise routines to no avail. No matter what I've tried I cant seem to drop below 177 pounds. Each time I get even a little bit below 177 I get incredibly hungry, I cant sleep well, and I struggle to to through training workouts. The last couple weeks I've had a lot of people tell me I looked sick and pale. This week was my worst week of training I've had in years! On Friday I completed a 30 mile bike and was only only able to maintain a 12.9 mile per hour pace. I could ride faster than that back when I weighed over 250 pounds.

I'm a very determined type of person, to the point where I have hurt myself pushing to hard for to long in training and races,but I think I've finally come to the realization that I've got to as low of a body weight as I can get without losing speed, endurance, and possibly my health. I should be excited. It took me years of struggle to to get to 177 pounds and %6 body fat, but because of my OCD personality I'm disapointed. I wanted to get to my next IRON distance race weighing 175 pounds or less. Now that I look back at my training and racing I see the signs that should have been obvious. I had the worst race of my life at IMAZ 2011, and it was because of my low body weight.

I've decided I'm going to try and maintain my current weight of 177 pounds until February 27th. If I continue to feel weak, slow, and unable to train long distances after Feb 27th I'll gain a few pounds a re-access how I feel.

Triathlon sure would be easier if everything was in black and white. I struggle being in gray areas.

January 28, 2012

Today I wanted to trash my legs. I decided to do some self punishment using intervals on the bike. I started out with sets of 4 minutes hard and 4 minutes recoveries. I continued with the 4X4 until I could no longer sustain a full 4 minutes hard. Then I did 2X2 minute sets until my legs couldn't sustain the 2 minutes hard any longer. I finished with 1X1 minute sets until muscle failure. I'm trashed! Feels great!

Now I'm off for another 12 hour overtime at the old pinta! The 1st pay period of this year I worked 86 hours of regular pay and 93 hours of overtime. The next pay period I worked 86 and 72, & this pay period I'm on track for another 86 and 72. I see a lot of disgruntled employees at the State Penitentiary, I feel that most correctional officers have no idea how good we have it. There's no doubt that the Penn can be a dangerous and stressful place to work, but I couldn't imagine a job where my entire family of 5 had to live off a straight 40 hour work week with no overtime available. I'm grateful that the good Lord has blessed me with a career that I can pull extra shifts from time to time to help my family catch up on bills.

January 24, 2012

Last night I talked to a fellow co-worker. He & I had talked about God many times and up until then I thought he was a believer. Last night I shared with him what the bible says about our God being there for us, How God is in control and doesn't put anything into our lives that we cant handle, and if we ask Him for help God will help us. I realized pretty quickly that he doesn't believe that the bible is true. He disagreed and told me the leaders of his church have told him that his church's traditions is what is correct and that his church believes that most of what is written in the bible are made up stories. I learned many of the things his church is telling him are the opposite of what the bible says. I believe the bible is 100% true, & here's why.

There have been hundreds of books written on the subject of the evidences of the divine inspiration of the Bible, and these evidences are many and varied. Most people today, unfortunately, have not read any of these books. In fact, few have even read the Bible itself! Thus, many people tend to go along with the popular delusion that the Bible is full of mistakes and is no longer relevant to our modern world.

Nevertheless the Bible writers claimed repeatedly that they were transmitting the very Word of God, infallible and authoritative in the highest degree. This is an amazing thing for any writer to say, and if the forty or so men who wrote the Scriptures were wrong in these claims, then they must have been lying, or insane, or both.

But, on the other hand, if the greatest and most influential book of the ages, containing the most beautiful literature and the most perfect moral code ever devised, was written by deceiving fanatics, then what hope is there for ever finding meaning and purpose in this world?

If one will seriously investigate these Biblical evidences, he will find that their claims of divine inspiration (stated over 3,000 times, in various ways) were amply justified.

Fulfilled Prophecies

The remarkable evidence of fulfilled prophecy is just one case in point. Hundreds of Bible prophecies have been fulfilled, specifically and meticulously, often long after the prophetic writer had passed away.

For example, Daniel the prophet predicted in about 538 BC (Daniel 9:24-27) that Christ would come as Israel's promised Savior and Prince 483 years after the Persian emperor would give the Jews authority to rebuild Jerusalem, which was then in ruins. This was clearly and definitely fulfilled, hundreds of years later.

There are extensive prophecies dealing with individual nations and cities and with the course of history in general, all of which have been literally fulfilled. More than 300 prophecies were fulfilled by Christ Himself at His first coming. Other prophecies deal with the spread of Christianity, as well as various false religions, and many other subjects.

There is no other book, ancient or modern, like this. The vague, and usually erroneous, prophecies of people like Jeanne Dixon, Nostradamus, Edgar Cayce, and others like them are not in the same category at all, and neither are other religious books such as the Koran, the Confucian Analects, and similar religious writings. Only the Bible manifests this remarkable prophetic evidence, and it does so on such a tremendous scale as to render completely absurd any explanation other than divine revelation.

The historical accuracy of the Scriptures is likewise in a class by itself, far superior to the written records of Egypt, Assyria, and other early nations. Archeological confirmations of the Biblical record have been almost innumerable in the last century. Dr. Nelson Glueck, probably the greatest modern authority on Israeli archeology, has said:

"No archeological discovery has ever controverted a Biblical reference. Scores of archeological findings have been made which confirm in clear outline or in exact detail historical statements in the Bible. And, by the same token, proper evaluation of Biblical descriptions has often led to amazing discoveries."

Scientific Accuracy

Another striking evidence of divine inspiration is found in the fact that many of the principles of modern science were recorded as facts of nature in the Bible long before scientist confirmed them experimentally. A sampling of these would include:

■Roundness of the earth (Isaiah 40:22)

■Almost infinite extent of the sidereal universe (Isaiah 55:9)

■Law of conservation of mass and energy (II Peter 3:7)

■Hydrologic cycle (Ecclesiastes 1:7)

■Vast number of stars (Jeremiah 33:22)

■Law of increasing entropy (Psalm 102:25-27)

■Paramount importance of blood in life processes (Leviticus 17:11)

■Atmospheric circulation (Ecclesiastes 1:6)

■Gravitational field (Job 26:7)

■and many others. These are not stated in the technical jargon of modern science, of course, but in terms of the basic world of man's everyday experience; nevertheless, they are completely in accord with the most modern scientific facts.

It is significant also that no real mistake has ever been demonstrated in the Bible—in science, in history, or in any other subject. Many have been claimed, of course, but conservative Bible scholars have always been able to work out reasonable solutions to all such problems.

Unique Structure

The remarkable structure of the Bible should also be stressed. Although it is a collection of 66 books, written by 40 or more different men over a period of 2,000 years, it is clearly one Book, with perfect unity and consistency throughout.

The individual writers, at the time of writing, had no idea that their message was eventually to be incorporated into such a Book, but each nevertheless fits perfectly into place and serves its own unique purpose as a component of the whole. Anyone who diligently studies the Bible will continually find remarkable structural and mathematical patterns woven throughout its fabric, with an intricacy and symmetry incapable of explanation by chance or collusion.

The one consistent theme of the Bible, developing in grandeur from Genesis to Revelation, is God's great work in the creation and redemption of all things, through His only Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Bible is unique also in terms of its effect on individual men and on the history of nations. It is the all-time best seller, appealing both to hearts and minds, beloved by at least some in every race or nation or tribe to which it has gone, rich or poor, scholar or simple, king or commoner, men of literally every background and walk of life. No other book has ever held such universal appeal nor produced such lasting effects.

One final evidence that the Bible is true is found in the testimony of those who have believed it. Multitudes of people, past and present, have found from personal experience that its promises are true, its counsel is sound, its commands and restrictions are wise, and its wonderful message of salvation meets every need for both time and eternity.

January 23, 2012

Anytime I go to Tempe to race my family and I always stop to eat at the In n Out burger. There aren't any In n Out burger joints in New Mexico, so it's a treat for us to eat there. They have some really delicious food!

While at Tempe's In n Out burger there are always dozens of birds swooping in for dropped or abandoned food at the outdoor patio. While there relaxing, staying off my feet preparing for my race I enjoy feeding the birds french fries. Last time I was there I saw a sign at the In n Ouyt burger saying, "Please don't feed the birds for health reasons". That made me wonder.... if In n Outs food is so unhealthy that it's bad for wild animals why am I eating it?

The NMBRA New Mexico Road Series (NMRS) awards are intended to recognize the best all-around road racers throughout the racing season in a number of categories. The NMRS is intended to encourage participation and competition among racers throughout the racing season.2012 New Mexico Road Series events:Date(s)

Three (3) event minimum / All (up to 15) results countRace Groups/StartsThe following seven race starts will be run at all 2012 NMRS events:Men Cat 1/2/3, Men Cat 4, Men Cat 5, Masters Men 50+ Cat 2-4Women Cat 1/2/3, Women Cat 4Juniors 16 and under (Juniors 17-18 will race their category)Overall AwardsThe 2012 NMRS will give overall awards in the following categories:MenWomenJuniorsWinners' jerseys will go to the overall winners. Prizes (cash, gift certificates and/or merchandise) may be awarded to the top three (3) overall in each category, depending on availability.Purely for the purposes of bragging rights, overall standings corresponding to the race group starts will also be tracked.ScoringEach rider's results in all 15 events will be used to calculate their overall point total.Points will be awarded based on field sizes according to the following scales:

All finishers receive one (1) point per event.For timed stage races, points will be awarded based on final overall (GC) results only, and will be 2 times the values in the table above.For omniums, points will be scored for each individual stage only, and not for the final overall results.Points are awarded according to the race group you ride in. The only exception to this rule is that juniors 16 and under who race category races will be scored as 17-18. If you ride in different race groups from race to race, you will accrue points in the corresponding NMRS categories. Points will NOT be combined for the overall awards.One-day licensees and out of state riders do not accrue NMRS points, but do displace points for eligible riders.If pros are in the SM 1-2-3 race (at the discretion of the race directors), they do not accrue NMRS points, but do displace points for eligible riders.The following are examples of how scoring works.Men Cat 1-2-3 Race, 27 participants:1st - 36 year old Cat 1 racer : 30 pts in NMRS category SM 1-2 35+2nd - 42 year old Cat 2 racer : 27 pts in NMRS category SM 1-2 35+3rd - Colorado rider : No points awarded4th - 19 year old Cat 2 racer : 22 pts in NMRS category SM 1-2 U235th - 28 year old Cat 3 racer : 20 pts in NMRS category SM 3 23-34etc. Men Cat 5 Race, 42 participants:1st - 26 year old Cat 5 racer : 40 pts in NMRS category SM 5 23-342nd - One-day licensee : No points awarded 3rd - 45 year old Cat 5 racer : 33 pts in NMRS category SM 5 35+4th - 17 year old Cat 5 racer : 30 pts in NMRS category JM 5 17-185th - 22 year old Cat 5 racer : 28 pts in NMRS category SM 5 U23etc. Women Cat 1-2-3 Stage Race, 11 participants:1st - 51 year old Cat 2 racer : 40 pts in NMRS category SW 1-2 50+2nd - 38 year old Cat 2 racer : 34 pts in NMRS category SW 1-2 35+ 3rd - 45 year old Cat 3 racer : 28 pts in NMRS category SW 3 35+4th - 17 year old Cat 3 racer : 24 pts in NMRS category JW 3 17-185th - 22 year old Cat 1 racer : 20 pts in NMRS category SW 3 U23etc.

January 16, 2012

I receive emails from the BCNM. They usually have some really good info info in their emails so I thought I'd share it here on my blog.

Hello fellow Sun Cyclers,

Thank You for you support of BCNM. The Coalition will be releasing it's Annual Report very soon. Our membership has grown to over 500 members in 2012, and we have greatly increased our presence with our state DOT policy holders and state and federal lawmakers. Some of our accomplishment highlights:

"Complete Streets" Initiative: High Road to Taos shoulder repaved so that a dangerous lip is removed; ongoing eye on the DOT to stop the partial paving of our bike ways.

"LCI Program": Tammy Shurr continues to train League Cycling Instructors around the state. These certified LCI instructors can then teach NM cyclists how to ride their bicycles safely on our roads. Annual LCI conference this weekend November 12th in ABQ. Details at www.bikenm.org

"National Bike Summit": Five delegates from around the state flew to D.C. for League of American Bicyclist, and IMBA advocacy seminars. Then met with our congressmen, and senators to discuss bicycle facilities and other bicycle issues. We also mingled with fellow coalition groups from around the country to here about what is going on in their states.

"Tour of Rio Grand Valley, REBORN!"- Over 500 riders enjoyed the ride to Belen and back in September. It was a beautiful day! This was BCNM's first big cycling event, and there were some lessons learned. Overall, it was a hit, and we expect to double attendance in 2012. Money raised from this ride goes towards our advocacy expenses, LCI program, and possibly a new paid Executive Director in 2012. Thanks to all who rode!

There were many other meetings attended by our board members through 2011, representing New Mexico's bicyclists. Please read through our President's reports, and other documents on our website.

We now ask that some of our Sun Cyclers step in and volunteer there time as board members in 2012. We have some momentum going now, and we need new blood and energy to help us keep BCNM a working organization. We will need a new President in 2012. Diane Albert has been President for four years now, and has given the Coalition a great running start. The Board thanks Diane for all her energy, intelligence, tenacity, and success!

Please self-nominate at: board@bcnm.org

There is a BCNM Board meeting Saturday November 12th, 5:30 to 6:30 pm, in ABQ after the LCI Conference. You are welcome to attend if interested. Let us know.

From our BCNM Bylaws:

The officers of the corporation shall be a President, a Vice-President, a Secretary, and a Treasurer. The corporation may also have a Chairperson of the Board, one or more Vice Presidents, Assistant Secretaries, Assistant Treasurers, and other such officers with such titles as may be determined from time to time by the Board of Directors. One person may hold more than one office in the Corporation except that no one person may hold the offices of President and Treasurer. No instrument required to be signed by more than one officer may be signed by one person in more than one capacity.

January 14, 2012

Below is a letter from an Alb cyclist and the response from Aziza Chavez, Policy Analyst-Councilor Alb NM.

This response reminds me of the recent crackdown on cyclists along Tramway Blvd. I'm really tired of "health and safety" being used as an excuse to strip citizens' rights. Cyclists can and do make choices with our "life, health and safety in mind." We do not need the city to do that for us. If the City wants to actually do something about protecting our "life, health and safety" I would suggest, for starters, putting up sings indicating "No Cell Phone" and enforcing the law against cell phone use while driving. Enforce the speed limit. Educate drivers and hold them accountable for their mistakes. Educating cyclists and hold them accountable for their mistakes is also part of what it will take to improve safety of all road users.

Bicycles are being pushed from one bad situation to another. Now avoiding the poor section of the MUP will require a detour on Jefferson and the Pan American Frontage road. I think Chappell is probably safer than that.

Albuquerque purports to being a bicycle friendly community and supporting multi-modal transportation options. This position completely flies in the face of that. Arbitrarily restricting access to City streets, for nothing more than the convenience of a very few commercial users, without due process or consideration for all the factors affecting all rightful road users is simply unacceptable. This sets a very bad precedent and the cycling community will not rest until the signs are removed and the City reconsiders it's position on this issue.

I strongly urge the City to reconsider its position on this matter and choose to do something that will actually make a difference.

The letter starts here:Mayor Berry, Councilor Jones,

I am writing to you due to my concerns about the installation of "no bicycles" signage on Chappell between Singer and Osuna. There are several problems with this situation not the least of which is that it is contrary to ordinance stating bicycles are legal vehicles on the road:§ 8-3-3-4 TRAFFIC REGULATIONS APPLY.(A) Operators of bicycles have the same rights as operators of automobiles in the use of streets, highways and roadways within the city, except as otherwise specifically provided herein.

(B) Every person riding a bicycle upon a roadway shall be subject to all the duties applicable to the drivers of motor vehicles, except as otherwise expressly provided in this Traffic Code and except as to those provisions of laws and ordinances which by their nature can have no applications; and each such person shall be subject to the same provisions and sections of this Traffic Code to which a motorist is subject.('74 Code, § 9-5-16.5) (Ord. 65-1974; Am. Ord. 19-2007; Am. Ord. 37-2008)

Further, there is no indication that a meaningful "engineering traffic investigation" as called for in the ordinance governing the placement of such restrictions actually occurred. Banning bicycles from this public street was undertaken as the first course of action. What about education? What about enforcement? There are other ways to address the issue that were not utilized. No input from the cycling community was taken, and GABAC, a long standing City committee that deals with bicycle issues was not consulted. The MUP that parallels Chappell is far from ideal. There is no controlled crossing at Singer, forcing cyclists to dodge traffic to cross as best they can. Even worse, the crossing at Osuna requires navigating a crosswalk that puts cyclists in the path of oncoming vehicles turning left as well as vehicles from the rear turning right. As highlighted by the unfortunate death of Scott Lane this week only 1/4 mile east of the Osuna/Chappell intersection getting across Osuna, and bike access in general in that area, requires significant improvement.

Most simply it appears this signage was placed at the request of the industrial business along Chappell with complete disregard for the rights and needs of other road users - the streets of Albuquerque to do not exist simply for the convenience and at the control of commercial users. The businesses along Chappell need to learn to "Share the Road", it is not their private domain.

This was the response to the letter:Ms. Chavez: I have reviewed the ordinance (§8-1-2-15) and confirmed that DMD complied with its requirement. In accordance with §8-1-2-15, a competent registered engineer from DMD went to investigate the location and determined that the road was unsafe for both uses. While I am sympathetic to the inconvenience of the bicyclists, I believe life, health and safety trumps convenience. In light of the tragedies involving motor vehicles and bicyclists in the last two years, it was appropriate for DMD to take this action. Please let me know if there are any questions. David Tourek

Response of the cyclist:Thank you for getting back to me, does this "investigation" meet the requirements of a "traffic engineering investigation" and if so where can the public acquire a copy of the details and documentation? Where was this investigation reviewed and ratified? Why was GABAC not consulted or involved? This is simply someone taking unilateral action without due process or consideration for all the factors affecting all rightful users. I agree that life, health, and safety are the critical factors, but what you are saying is that the convenience of commercial users trumps the rights of other road users. If life and safety truly were a priority the intersections at Singer and Osuna would be addressed to make them safer and more viable for cyclists. The individual(s) responsible for this action are simply taking the easy way out by denying access to legal road users without investing any effort on their behalf. Claiming life, health, and safety does not absolve the investigator from performing due diligence and finding solutions that accommodate all users. What is the plan to address the issues with that area that results in Chappell being the most desirable route? It is unacceptable to consider placing "no bicycle" signage the final answer, it is NOT a solution and only serves the agenda of a single user.

January 11, 2012

I finally got the tests back from the tests I had to have because because my liver enzymes were 11 times higher than what is considered high. The tests came back as negative for hepatitis and liver tumors. The next step is more blood work, which I got done yesterday. I'll let you guys know how the tests come back as soon as I get them.

January 02, 2012

UNM bike test resultsI went to the UNM exercise physiology lab in Oct and got a battery of tests done on the bike. The results are below:

power to weight ratio:This is the results I was most excited and surprised about. This was the highest power to weight ratio I'd ever recorded.October 2011: 414 watts at 181.2 pounds= 2.28 watts per lb.July 2010: 428 watts @ 189.1 pounds= 2.25 watts per lbJan 2010: 410 watts @ 208 pounds= 1.98 watts per pound

Maximal VO2 (ml/Kg/min):Your VO2 max measured on the cycle was 52.9 ml/kg/min at a maximum power output of 414 Watts. This ranks you in the excellent to superior category (between the 90th and 95th percentile) for your age and gender.

Maximal Heart Rate (beats/min)Maximal heart rate is often used as a tool for setting the exercise intensity by setting a target zone. Your maximal heart rate was measured at 167 beats per minute (bpm). This is the maximal value that your heart can work during cycling, so your regular exercise intensity should not often be at your maximal effort. Your recommended cycling intensity based on your thresholds determined from your test is 83-90% of your max HR max. For you, this would be between 138-150 bpm.

Ventilatory ThresholdYour test results indicated that you have two ventilatory thresholds. The first ventilatory threshold is termed the “aerobic” threshold, and it is the point during exercise where there is an abrupt increase in Ventilation (VE)/Volume of Oxygen Consumption (VO2) without an increase in VE/Volume of Carbon Dioxide Production (VCO2). In other words, you should exercise at an intensity above this threshold to maintain your aerobic fitness. The second threshold is termed the “anaerobic” threshold, and it is the point during exercise where there is an abrupt increase in VE/VO2 and VE/VCO2. In other words, you should exercise above this threshold to improve your aerobic fitness. You should be able to exercise at an intensity between the first and second threshold for an extended period of time. However, you will not be able to exercise for an extended period of time above your second threshold. Therefore, it is best to perform interval training above this threshold. Knowing the ventilatory threshold aids in setting the level of exercise intensity and designing a training plan.Your first ventilatory threshold (the first arrow on the left in the graph below) was achieved at a heart rate of approximately 138 bpm (83% of max HR) and a VO2 of approximately 39 ml/kg/min (74% of VO2max). Your second ventilatory threshold (the second arrow on the right in the graph below) was achieved at a heart rate of approximately 150 bpm (90% of max HR) and a VO2 of approximately 47 ml/kg/min (89% of VO2max).

Since your second threshold was achieved at a heart rate of approximately of 150 bpm, you could potentially exercise for an extended period below this heart rate (though keep in mind that this value can be higher in outside conditions due to heart rate drift and dehydration). A heart rate significantly above 150 bpm will cause you to fatigue at a quicker rate than if you exercised at a lower heart rate.